The present invention relates to distribution of digital content over mobile devices. In particular, this invention relates to distribution and management of digital data and applications over SIM-enabled mobile devices.
Over the past few years, the exchange of digital content over different types of networks in general, and the Internet in particular, has increased enormously. One of the prime reasons for this stupendous increase is the evolution of the Internet as an efficient medium of distribution and management of digital content.
Coupled with the increase in distribution of the digital content is the problem of unauthorized access to the digital content. The ideal way of distribution of digital content is as follows: the digital content is directly sourced from a network (such as a server on the Internet), and is distributed to authorized users through a user device (such as a desktop PC). However, with the ever-increasing amount of digital content distribution over a network, the chances of “unprotected” digital content on the network being easily and freely copied, altered or distributed in large numbers, is turning out to be a grave reality. Needless to say, such unauthorized use of digital content is a big deterrent to the providers of digital content from providing the digital content.
The issue of unauthorized distribution of digital content over the Internet is addressed by proper licensing of the contents through Digital Rights Management (DRM). Digital Rights Management relates to techniques, processes, procedures and algorithms that establish a secure computing environment, and provide a secure infrastructure for the preparation, transmission, and prevention of misuse and/or consumption of protected digital contents.
With rapid developments in wireless technologies and with the onset of technically superior mobile devices and networks, distribution of digital content, which was predominantly being carried out only on the Internet, is now being done over mobile networks as well. The new-generation mobile devices include mobile phones, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), Laptops, etc. that are capable of handling digital data, such as ring tones, images, etc., and digital applications such as calendar, games, and the like.
The new-generation mobile networks have a high data-transfer rate and, at the same time, support greater number of mobile users at any point of time. The transfer of digital content over the mobile devices involves data transfer between a content provider and an end user. The content provider provides the digital content (data and applications) to the users through a mobile service provider. Alternatively, the mobile service provider may itself host and provide the content to the subscriber.
The present mobile devices also have the capability to distribute (or forward) the contents to other mobile devices. This allows a mobile device user to potentially distribute “unprotected” downloaded content to numerous other mobile device users. This means that unprotected content, such as games, logos, pictures, music, ring tones etc, can be forwarded to other users if there is no protection for preventing such distribution. Such uncontrolled distribution is not desirable to the content provider (of the “unprotected” content). In order to explain this point more clearly, consider an example of a service provider who provides mobile ring tones for some payments by the user. If the ring tone is “unprotected”, then the same may be forwarded to numerous other mobile users who have devices capable of receiving the content. For example, MP3 songs can be circulated and shared with users (mobile subscribers) who own devices with embedded of MP3 players. This is economically undesirable for the content provider. Further, such distribution may also lead to problems of licensing and copyright violations. Indeed, the content providers are wary of such problems and these problems are deterring content providers to host “rich” content for mobile devices without taking necessary steps towards protecting the content.
In order to address the above problems, content providers rely on Mobile Digital Rights Management (MDRM) techniques that protect content, and allow only authorized usage of the content. Mobile DRM provides a secure infrastructure for the preparation, transmission, and prevention of misuse of protected digital contents. Thus, content is available to a user only through the content provider (or the mobile service provider as the case may be). Thus, a user cannot forward the “protected” content to other users. However, in such cases, the knowledge about the availability of content cannot be passed on from one mobile user to another. This, in turn, reduces the number of possible users who may actually pay for the content being hosted by the content provider, but may not know about the availability of such content. This situation is also undesirable for the content providers. It is desirable for content providers that the users also distribute the URL or links of digital content to other users, so that each subsequent user who gets the distributed link may pay appropriately to the content provider for using the content. The concept of super-distribution may be used to achieve the above-mentioned objective.
Super-distribution is the process of distribution of digital content virally (over networks such as the Internet). Super-distribution enables the end-users to share such content with other users thereby increasing the distribution and sales of the content. The concept of super distribution is applicable for any type of digital media, software or applications. This concept is currently being used on the Internet with products like Windows® Media Rights Manager (a product by Microsoft Corp., Redmond, Wash., USA), which allow transfer of digital content while taking care of issues of licensing and copyright protection. The product also enables the setting up of a DRM system as per user preferences.
The application of the concept of super-distribution over mobile networks is highly desirable (especially for the content providers), as this enables sharing of content, which, in turn, increases sales and distribution of the content. The existing state of technology (for mobile networks) works as follows: a user requests for download of digital content from his/her mobile service provider. Downloadable digital content is hosted by a content provider, which is in contact with a mobile service provider. Upon receiving the request, the user is prompted to pay for the content that he/she intends to download. After receiving the necessary payments, the mobile service provider forwards the content (which may have digital rights associated with it) to the user. The user is then able to download the requested content on his/her mobile device.
Another existing state of technology is WAP push technology in which a mobile service provider, in conjunction with a content provider, may send a user a link to content provider. This may be sent according to preferences set by the user. In this technology, a link can be delivered to a user but the link cannot be forwarded to any other mobile device. Thus, the aim of greater circulation of content through the concept of super-distribution is not achieved.
An example of a technology used for distribution on mobile networks is Universal Distribution with Access Control—Media Base (UDAC-MB), which has been developed jointly by Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (Japan), Hitachi, Ltd. (Japan) and Fujitsu Ltd. (Japan) supports the copying content protection technology to realize legal copying and legal playback.
As is apparent from the above discussion, there are certain limitations in the existing state of technology. The existing state of technology does not support user-to-user authorized forwarding and distribution of digital content over mobile networks. Also, in existing technologies, the communication between the server and the user (client) is restricted to a particular type of mobile device (of the user). For instance, content developed (by content provider) for mobile handset type A may not be usable on mobile handsets of type B. Thus, the communication has to be customized for different types of mobile devices.
Another desirable feature, which is not provided in existing systems, is that of notification to the mobile user, by the service provider, regarding the change of content. The presence of such functionality will help the user to keep updating the features on the mobile device. Also, the existing state of technology needs to further secure the interests of content providers by minimizing the unauthorized use of digital content. The content provider's interest, in terms of returns (payments, licensing fees, etc.) for the provision of content, must be safeguarded against any unauthorized access.
Hence, there is a need for a system for data distribution over a mobile network that allows for authorized forwarding and distribution of URL or link from one mobile user to another. This system must also be able to safeguard the rights of the content providers during the process of forwarding and downloading of the content. Further, a platform independent communication system is required. It is also desirable that a user of a mobile device has an easy and ready access to the downloadable digital content of his/her interest. Additionally, there is a need for an updating feature that will periodically provide information to the mobile users regarding the updates in the contents available for downloading.